


Homeward Bound?

by tatianaluz



Category: Football RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-07-10 16:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6996010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatianaluz/pseuds/tatianaluz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christian is definitely ready to take on the challenge of living on his own! Or maybe not. He isn't sure...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Homeward Bound?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bananasplit86](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bananasplit86/gifts).



> Bananasplit86 and I have come to the conclusion that Roman acts as a brotherly figure for Christian. The idea was too adorable to not share. I would also like to point out that I promised her a Leweus fic back and December and that never happened. But I finished this one! Yay!

Roman and Christian eye the white kitchen from top to bottom. Technically, the entire apartment is white. White and modern and so not Christian’s taste at all. He thinks that his eyes will start hurting because it’s so white.

“It’s very…”

“Minimalist,” Roman chimes in. “Think of it as a blank canvas.”

Christian gives a short nod in response, before circling around the kitchen island. He’s already done this twice. Christian is not sure what he hopes to find by doing so. He’s already looked at four other places in the past three days.

The first place he toured was too _big_. Honestly, the real estate agent said it was an apartment, but it almost reminded him of his family’s house back home. There was no way he going to be able to fill it. Apartment criteria #1: a home has to feel like someone actually lives in it.

The next place was smaller, but the neighbors were not particularly friendly. His hellos were met with odd glares. Talk about awkward. Apartment criteria #2: a home should have neighbors that actually want to talk to you.

Then there was the building where he was pretty sure he heard someone being murdered.

“I think they were up to something else,” commented Felix, wriggling his eyebrows. Either way, Christian is sure that sound should never come out of someone’s mouth. Ever. Apartment criteria #3: a home should feel safe.

The last place he and Roman saw was too far from training. It was too far from most things. He’s not sure that he saw neighbors out there. Christian wants to find a place that is at least somewhat near civilization.

Christian is apparently so desperate to find a place that he’s resorted to walking around kitchen islands for answers. He feels bad for Roman, who Christian has dragged around various parts of Dortmund. Roman has reminded him that he doesn’t mind tagging along. This was mentioned after he insisted that Christian stay with him until he found his own place. Roman doesn’t seem to mind that either, thankfully.

A voice cuts in “I was thinking of the word ‘cold’, actually. Then again, I’m only getting a view of the floor.” Christian lifts his phone so that Felix can get a view of something other than white ceramic tiling.

“360° view” Both Christian and Roman roll their eyes, but Christian obliges.

Roman has asked Christian why Felix is on Facetime when he could have just shown up. Christian says it’s because Felix is ‘a lazy asshole.’ Felix feigns insult at his response, but Christian doesn’t mean it, not really. Maybe a little.

“No, you won’t like it. Too cold. Not homey enough.”

Christian lets out a defeated sigh. He knows that Felix is right. He’s sure that Roman knows it too. They leave not long after.

Maybe he isn’t ready for this yet.

 

***

 

The next day, Roman brings up the idea of Christian moving in with Felix.

“I mean, he seems to already know you pretty well.” Roman has nothing but good intentions, Christian is sure of that, but he’s roomed with Felix in training camp before and—

Christian looks up from his breakfast (he and Roman are eating Lucky Charms like the grown men they are, damn it) and surprises Roman with an uncharacteristically serious face.

“I’ve had to survive six different cooking disasters with Felix. I’m scared that I won’t survive the next one.”

Roman does not ask any further questions on the matter.

 

***

 

The next time someone talks to Christian about potential roommates, he’s losing a game of FIFA to Felix.

“Why don’t you just move in with Roman? Officially.”

Christian does not respond for a few moments. Instead, he navigates Auba down the pitch and towards the goal. It’s a miss. Way over the crossbar.

He finally turns his head towards Felix. “I couldn’t ask that of him.”

“No, you just _don’t want_ to ask that of him.”

“I’ve overstayed my welcome already, Felix. Besides, why would he want some kid as a roommate?” Felix raises an eyebrow, no doubt wondering how five days counts as ‘overstaying your welcome.’

“So you won’t ask because you’re scared he’ll say no.” Christian shoots way over the crossbar. Again.

Christian throws his controller in front of him, his hands reaching to rub his face. Felix barely makes out his stern “no” in response. It’s not a very convincing no.

Truth be told, Christian is terrified of the idea of Roman saying no. What would he think of Christian then? Roman would no doubt tell the rest of the team about how Poor Baby Pulisic is all scared to live alone. Which he is. Sort of. But he isn’t about to admit that, least of all to Felix.

“Dude.” Christian furrows his brows as Felix nudges him. Felix takes note of the frown on his face, because he sets his own controller down and situates himself in front of Christian.

“Hey. It’s okay to be overwhelmed at the idea of living alone. You’re a long way from Hershey Park, Transylvania.”

Christian snorts at that. “I still don’t see how you think that joke is funny.”

“Really?! Your hometown is Hershey, Pennsylvania. It exists for jokes like that.”

Felix grabs Christian’s shoulders after his lack of response. “Just promise that you’ll think about it. It won’t hurt to stay somewhere familiar.” As ridiculous as Felix can be most days, he gives some pretty sound advice.

“Okay.”

“Great! Now we can get back to the game. I think you just missed the goal for what, the fifteenth time today?” Christian quickly forgets his worries, opting to put all his energy into kicking Felix’s ass at FIFA.

 

***

 

“Oh, good, I found you! I wanted to talk to you about something…” Roman is standing at the entrance to Christian’s guest room. Bedroom? Christian’s not exactly sure how he should refer to it.

“Just give me a second. I’m looking for my book.”

Christian has been looking for said book for several minutes. He has checked between his bedsheets, under the bed, inside the suitcases he’s been living out of, and under the bed again. To say that he is losing his patience would be a bit of an understatement.

Roman begins walking into the room as Christian continues his search.

“It actually has to do with that.” He pauses. “Not really, you see…”

“You know, it’s really frustrating to lose something in a place you’re barely unpacked at. I mean, where does the stuff even go?”

“I know exactly what you mean. Which is why—”

Christian isn’t paying much attention as he tears the sheets off his bed. The book isn’t there. Of course it fucking isn’t. Because Christian would notice a book on the bed he was just sitting on not even a half hour ago. He crouches down to look under the bed for a third time. Surprisingly, the book hasn’t magically appeared there either.

“I wish I could just find a place already! That way I can unpack my stuff and be out of your way. Not that it’ll help me find my book, because every apartment seems so big and how am I even supposed to fill in all that space? It’s going to feel so empty and—”

“Christian?”

Christian stops turning over the sheets (now on the floor) and considers what he’s just said. He has to cover up his tracks. Fast.

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll get used to it.”

His reply is short and quick. Christian knows that Roman senses him lying. Christian won’t even look in his direction. His cousin has always said that he was a terrible liar.

When Christian does look towards Roman, he sees the goalkeeper staring at him with a sympathetic expression. They stay like that for a few moments.

Roman then clears his throat. “Uh, dinner’s almost ready. Spaghetti.”

He makes his way out of the room. Christians stays seated on the floor. Why he had to make things so awkward, he has no idea. That’s when he sees the book under his nightstand, not even a foot away from the bed.

He begins to contemplate when his life got so out of control.

 

***

 

Roman has already started eating by the time Christian enters the dining room. He notices his plate of spaghetti on the table, although there is a severe lack of meatballs. Christian thinks of his mom’s infamous meatballs, and his stomach sinks a little.

Roman picks up on his disappointment. “Went to the store and forgot the meat for meatballs. Kind of embarrassing, actually.” Roman scratches at the back of his neck, a slight blush coming to his cheeks.

Christian gives a reassuring smile before starting on his dinner. It tastes fantastic, and Christian forgives Roman for forgetting the meatballs. Then he begins thinking of his mom’s meatballs again, and her laughter when he, his dad, and old teammates devoured them all. Soon, Christian can only bring himself to pick at his food absentmindedly.

He catches sight of Roman setting his own fork down. Is he about to say something? Christian cuts him off before he gets the chance.

“I think I’m in over my head.” He continues to poke at the mound of spaghetti on his plate. Roman sits up a bit straighter, expecting Christian to elaborate.

“I thought I was ready to move out on my own, but the idea of living alone seems so…lonely. I’ve always lived with other people. Now, I’m just…alone.” The last part is not said too loudly, as Christian has just come to the realization as he spoke.

Roman doesn’t say anything, but Christian sees the concern on his face. Nervousness sets in as Roman takes his plate to the kitchen. Had he said too much? Is Roman texting the team about how much of a dork Christian is? The sound of the microwave shakes him from his thoughts. Roman emerges with a bowl of popcorn, en route to the living room.

He calls over his shoulder. “A movie will make you feel better.”

Christian isn’t sure if it’ll really help, but he trusts Roman enough to follow in after him.

 

***

 

Christian stretches on the couch as the end credits of Goal! begin to roll. It’s the first time Roman has seen it, and about the ninth or tenth for Christian. He enjoys it anyway. Roman stretches as well, while turning to talk to Christian.

“I’m glad that he found his place in the team. A second family of sorts.”

Christian nods in agreement. “Yeah, it’s nice.” He thinks that’s the end of the discussion until:

“It’s important to feel as though your part of a family. With the team, I mean.” Roman suddenly looks very serious, and yeah, Christian honestly has no idea where Roman is going with this.

“Okay?” Roman lets out a sigh.

“The point is that you’ll always have the team.” Christian is about to ask when the movie turned into a philosophy lesson, when Roman speaks again. “For anything.”

Christian looks back at the television.

“Like letting me live in your apartment indefinitely?”

“Sure. Or, you know, letting you move in permanently.”

Christian gets tense. Did Felix tell Roman about their conversation? Of course he did. Felix couldn’t keep his mouth shut or mind his own business. At least, not when he was feeling concerned about Christian. Which is just about always. But then Christian remembers his outburst from earlier and groans.

“This is about earlier, isn’t it?” God, he feels like such an idiot.

“Well I was going to ask you earlier. Your minor existential crisis confirmed my suspicions.”

Christian groans again. He wishes that the couch could swallow him whole. He tries sinking further into it, to no avail.

“You are right, though. Living on your own does get lonely.”

Christian smiles. “So you’re asking me to move in so you don’t get lonely.”

Roman lets out a loud laugh. “Damn, you caught me.”

The two of them talk for a while longer. They decide that Roman would help Christian move the rest of his stuff into the apartment the next day. Christian decides to invite Felix, though he isn’t sure how helpful their teammate will actually be. At least he’ll have another friend to share in the excitement with.

Christian thanks Roman so many times that Roman jokes that he won’t let Christian move in if he mentions it again. Christian decides that his life isn’t as out of control as he thought.

 

***

 

“Felix! Get off your ass and actually help.” Christian has been doing most of the unpacking in his room. Felix, on the other hand, made a home within Christian’s ‘oh so incredibly soft!’ bedsheets. Christian should have expected this. In fact, he had. It doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

Felix moans the entire way from Christian’s bed to his closet. An impossible ten feet away. He then begins hanging some of Christian’s clothes. Christian decides that he can be left unattended long enough to get more of his belongings from the living room.

He catches sight of Roman carrying in another box.

“I must admit, I didn’t think that you had this much in storage.”

Christian shrugs. “I had to sneak in some Hershey candy before leaving home.”

That’s when he hears Felix in the other room. “Oh, so you can make jokes about your hometown, but I can’t?!”

Roman and Christian roll their eyes (this happens quite often when hanging around with Felix) before dissolving into laughter. They laugh even harder at Felix’s continued grumbles about how they are missing out on his comedic genius. Christian soon has to wipe a few tears from his eyes.

“Thanks for letting me move in. It means a lot.”

Roman wraps an arm around Christian’s shoulders. “Of course! That’s what family’s for.”

Christian grins at that, knowing that Roman means it.

 

***

 

When Christian walks into his room again a few hours later, he sees a note taped to the wall near the closet.

> _Hope you like the work I did!_
> 
> _Much love,_
> 
> _Felix_

Christian finds nothing unusual about the closet. His clothes hung up neatly, with his shoes lined up neatly on the floor below. Then Christian turns towards the door.

It’s there that he finds a small collage of photos that Felix must have found while unpacking. Some of the photos are of family, and few of him with classmates back home. There are even two with the u-19 and senior teams at Dortmund. He doesn’t remember having those. He most certainly doesn’t remember drawing hearts around Felix’s face in the photos either. Christian chuckles at that. Typical.

And, yeah, he feels like part of the family then.

The strange, but wonderful, Dortmund footballing family.

**Author's Note:**

> A couple of posts that prove the dorky tendencies of Roman and Christian:  
> 1 - http://woodie.co.vu/post/143486481647/leave-him-alone-roman-omg  
> 2 - http://princeofdortmund.tumblr.com/post/143670122699/flavenne-gundogawa-pulisic-being-silly-with


End file.
